


Not as Easy As You Think

by rowenaaine



Series: Learning to Heal [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Religious Humor, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 01:10:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17591888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowenaaine/pseuds/rowenaaine
Summary: Being intimate will have to wait. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak...and bruised.





	Not as Easy As You Think

**Author's Note:**

> Follows directly after “Undeniable.”

Bruce had had quite the shock when he went into that Dark Zone church to mourn; first, finally confronting his feelings for a man he thought was dead...then finding out Jeremiah Valeska was, in fact, still very much alive. It was life-altering. Especially confessing those feelings and having them reciprocated so easily. Though, he'd always known Jeremiah loved him in his own way; it was his unusual method of demonstrating his love that Bruce had trouble accepting. But that was a discussion for another day. Right now, Bruce just wanted to breathe the same air as Jeremiah; spend time in his presence and assure himself this _miracle_ was real.

It was peaceful up in the church's rectory, though a little chilly. The sun had set hours ago and the stone room was lit with a kerosene lamp, like something out of a gothic novel. Jeremiah and Bruce had the sandwiches and coffee Ecco left outside the door, and sat in bed under thick blankets talking until the younger man's eyelids started to droop. They were still in the clothes from the day, minus their shoes and outer garments. Bruce thought it surreal to see Jeremiah in a white, tank-style undershirt. It was so white it made his skin look, well, almost beige.

"When was the last time you got any real sleep?" Jeremiah asked, pressing a gentle kiss to Bruce's temple.

"Ha. Before the bridges blew?" Jeremiah gave him a sour look and Bruce chuckled. "I don't know, I guess I slept alright for the first time in a long while when Selina was able to walk again. Then...well, _that_ ," he gestured at Jeremiah's stomach, "happened. I just laid there each night thinking about you being gone and how I managed to fail you and Selina both."

"Now, don’t think about it that way. There wasn't anything you could do to stop what happened between me and your...friend. We each make our own choices, Bruce. Maybe she and I are even now." His eyes softened at Bruce's expression. “Why don’t we get some sleep."

"I'm afraid I'll wake up and all this will have been a dream. I'll be back in the Green Zone staring at the ceiling trying to get over my _friend_ killing my...uh...you." He sighed, at a loss for the right word.

"Oh, Bruce. No." The pale man turned on his side toward the younger man, hissing a little as he repositioned himself. He tried to turn the hiss into a shush to mask his discomfort. "I'll be here when you wake up. I promise. I'm not going anywhere.”

He flinched, remembering too late that he needed to tug off his belt to get more comfortable. Bruce stilled Jeremiah's hands with his own.

"I've got this." The younger man carefully undid the buckle and slowly slipped the offending strip of leather from the loops before dropping it on the floor beside them. "There." Bruce dropped a soft kiss on Jeremiah's cheek. 

“Thanks,” Jeremiah whispered, mind helpfully filling in the blanks; a scenario where Bruce is undressing him and they... “Anyway, em," he cleared his throat, "I think we could both use some rest."  _Because I'm delirious right now._

Bruce sighed again, stretching out. He wanted to hold Jeremiah and considered how he could do that without harming him. He reached over the side of the bed and retrieved his turtleneck, rolling it into a make-shift pillow as Jeremiah watched in amusement. He snuggled as close to the pale man as he dared, putting the rolled turtleneck between their t-shirt covered mid-sections. "In case I get restless. I don't want to squish your stomach."

"You'll hear me yelp if you do," Jeremiah joked, resting a hand on Bruce's hip to gently keep him still...for more than one reason. He closed his eyes and willed his traitorous body to relax.  _Well, at least the stabbing didn't damage me below the waist._

Bruce fell into a fairly untroubled sleep; his even breathing lulling a frustrated Jeremiah to sleep as well.

 

 

No alarm clocks or phone alerts were set. The two woke when the sunlight streamed through the windows at 6 AM the following morning. Right in their faces.

"Jesus. You need blackout curtains," Bruce mumbled, putting a hand over his eyes.

“My name’s not Jesus,” Jeremiah chuckled, poking Bruce in the leg with a socked foot.

“Yeah, well, you sort of rose from the dead, didn’t you?”

Jeremiah's sleepy smile took Bruce’s breath away. He blushed deeply when he realized how, despite everything, _he utterly adored this man._

"Bruce? You’re turning a lovely shade of pink.”

Bruce shrugged. "Just happy I guess."

"Well," Jeremiah rolled back toward the edge of the mattress and levered himself up using the headboard, "I can work with that."

"Need any help?"

"Nah. Just sore when bending. Be right back." While Jeremiah slipped into the bathroom to take care of business, Bruce checked his phone.

One text message from Alfred.

**Pennyworth: Hope you aren't sleeping rough again. Give a shout when you can.**

Bruce quickly typed back while Jeremiah was out of the room.

**Wayne: All good. Thanks. Call you later.**

"Everything alright?"

Bruce looked up to see a shirtless Jeremiah leaning against the doorframe, mildly curious.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Especially now that you're wearing fewer clothes."

"Rude," Jeremiah smirked, heartbeat stuttering.

"Listen, I don't know about you but I need a shower. I know my clothes won't fit you that well, but you're welcome to borrow anything at all," he said, turning to open the wardrobe. "These drawers have underwear and socks. Just help yourself. I can't do much about turtlenecks though." He winked saucily at the young man, who rolled his eyes as he got up to use the bathroom himself. He pecked Jeremiah on the cheek as he slipped past him.

"So, Jeremiah?" Bruce asked, as he sat back down and played with his phone absently while Jeremiah finished picking out his clothing. "Maybe we can, um..." 

"Yes?" Jeremiah paused with fresh clothes in hand to look at the young man.

"Conserve water together?" 

Jeremiah's brows knit together before he realized what Bruce meant. 

"Oh! Yes, that's perf...oh. Wait, that's probably _not_  a great idea." He gestured to the mess of healing reddish-purple wounds running up and down his midsection. "Tensing up my stomach muscles seems to be my biggest issue and the internal bruising is still...well, wait," he backtracked when he saw Bruce's face fall. "We can _try_ , I suppose..."  

"No! I mean, no, of course, you're right. What was I thinking? Ugh. You were knifed like, a million times..."

"Not quite a million," he murmured. "Half a dozen, maybe?"

"More like a dozen, so...yeah, no. God, I'm sorry. So selfish."

"Hey."

Jeremiah padded around to Bruce's side of the bed and gingerly sat close to the young man. "Listen. If I wasn't so sore I'd have pounced on you from the other side of the bed and dragged you into the shower myself.  _Selfish?_ Do you have any idea how I've dreamed of having you in my life? In my _bed?_   'Platonic roommates' isn't what I have in mind, I just don't want you to worry about having to be careful with me. Especially in a shower the size of a postage stamp, Bruce. Another day or two is all I think it will take."

Bruce nodded, blushing. "Yeah, I know." He put his hands on Jeremiah's white shoulders and gave them a light squeeze, feeling guilty for causing the tension he felt there now. "I'm just so grateful you're alive, I wanted to show you." He glanced down at the damaged flesh down the front of the other man's body, healing unbelievably quickly, but still evidence of an animalistic rage he didn't know Selina was capable of. Deep in thought, he bit his lower lip.

"Oh, God. Just the thought of that? It kills me - no, wait. Not a good metaphor anymore - it _vexes_ me that we can't ravish each other right now." He leaned in, Bruce meeting him halfway, and kissed along Bruce's neck before sucking the tender skin between his teeth, drawing a moan out of the younger man and leaving behind a blossoming red mark.  _Gorgeous._ "It was difficult to lay next to you all night and not...do _something_."

Bruce nodded. "Yeah. It was...challenging." He held Jeremiah's face in his hands and brushed his lips gently with his own; light, teasing caresses that forced a desperate sound from Jeremiah. He pushed closer and traced Bruce's lower lip with his tongue until the younger man parted his lips and let him in. They tasted each other, mouths soft and wet and so  _perfect_ until Bruce dropped his hands to Jeremiah's waist and squeezed just a little too hard. The older man tried not to grunt in pain and Bruce leaned away, exhaling hard with an apology in his eyes.

"It's fine," Jeremiah whispered, a little breathless. He smiled, kissed Bruce on the jaw and sat up straight. "Okay, going to take that shower now." He got up, moving the clothes he was holding to cover the front of his slacks. "A _cold_ shower. Happy now?"

"Very happy, thank you for asking," Bruce laughed, tossing his rolled up turtleneck in his path to make him drop the clothes.  _Hey, why not? I want a peek._

Jeremiah huffed out his own laugh, stopping in his tracks and looking at Bruce as the shirt flew past. 

"Nice try, Mr. Wayne."

"Didn't realize you were so modest, Mr. Valeska," Bruce teased. 

Jeremiah flat out _giggled_ the rest of the way to the bathroom. "Oh, you wait. I won't be for long."


End file.
